Agriculture and Food Systems

Transforming food systems to ensure future proof diets for all  

As the world population is rapidly growing. In 2050, the demand for food is expected to double. That means more food needs to be produced in the next 30 years than in the last 30.000 years combined. Our food system is the greatest threat to biodiversity and nature. It accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. So we also need to drastically reduce the impact of production and consumption on our ecosystem. A transition towards sustainable food systems will be an essential prerequisite to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. 

What we do

We believe that such a food transition is not only a challenge, but offers significant opportunities for businesses, farmers, society, all being part of biodiverse ecological systems. These opportunities can be captured if we change our core approach to sustainability from fragmented, reductionist efforts to combat negative impacts towards programs offering holistic long-term solutions while capturing net positive business opportunities with multiple returns.

We suggest that all of these actions need to be undertaken through focused coalitions of the committed, as no one can go it alone. While shaping the membership of these coalitions, actors should be open to engaging a range of stakeholders, including government bodies; key businesses within the relevant global supply chains; farmers, companies, NGOs, finance institutions, and other initiatives which represent or implement the state of the art in sustainable food production.

How we can support you

Our team has a strong track record with:

• Coalitions that develop and execute holistic transition programs at scale.
• Retailers and food producers, who need to take on the challenges and opportunities in consumer end-markets. 
• Producers and retailers for their private label products, who need to lead the way in transforming the value chains, including working with farmers to create net positive farmer business models that are based on differentiation rather than commoditization. 
• Governments in co-creation with businesses that lead the way in land and water use planning towards net positive and climate-resilient landscapes 

For any further questions or opportunities to collaborate, please contact the Food Systems Domain Lead Laure Heilbron at laure.heilbron@newforesight.com.